Gun



G. M. BARNES Feb. 16, 1932.

GUN

Filed Dec. 10, 1930 INVENTOR. Bladetm I LEJa ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 meals I series 'GLADEON M. BARNES, on THE UNITED snares ARMY, HASTINGSQMICHIGAN GUN 1 Application filed December 10, 1930. Serial as. 501,324.

(GRANTED UNDER was ac: or MARCH 3, 1883, lis emrnnnn APRIL-30, 1528; 370 o. G. 757) i The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Govern ment for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

, The subject of this invention is a gun.

In guns having a hydro-pneumatic recuperator mechanism a gaseous medium is compressed on recoil and reacts to restore the gun to battery. The problem of indefinitely retaining the gaseous medium involves great expense and difficulty in manufacturing parts to close tolerances.

An alternate method of accomplishing the same end consists in only temporarily trapping the gases of discharge and obviously a structure for carrying out this method may be readily fabricated at little expense. The further utilization of the gases of discharge in brake mechanisms for gradually terminating the recoil and counterrecoil strokes complicates the structure and involves more or less delicate adjustments of a number of elements. 7

The gun forming the subject matter of the present invention is characterized by the novel association of a liquid brake mechanism with a recoil and counterrecoil mechanism utilizing the gases of discharge of the gun.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a gun constructed in accordance with the invention;

7 Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals of reference:

There is shown in Fig. 1 a gun 5 of the reciprocating type arranged to slide in a cradle, a portion of which is indicated at 6. A cylinder 7 forwardly connected to the gun by means of a valve block 8 is also secured to the gun lug 9 through its rear head 10 and the nut 11 so that it partake; of the movement of the gun. y v i The cylinder 7 is in communication with the bore of the gun 5througha pipe 12 and'a passage 13 in the valve block a normally 5 open valve 14 being included in the passage and arranged to be closed when the pressure in the cylinder exceeds the lpressurein the bore of the gun. A piston 15. secured to the cradle 6 and working in'the cylinder 7 cooperates with the front cylinder head 16 in compressing the gases during recoil move.- ment of the gun and cylinder. The compressed gases function in theacceptedmanner to move the gun and cylinder in counter- 6 recoil. The cylinder is relieved of the gases through the valve 14.

Mounted inthe rear end of the cylinder .7 and preferably spaced. from; the head ofthe Piston y ind r 7- contain-ing a a,

liquid 18. v- A piston 19 in the cylinderl? is urgedforwardly by a spring 20 the limit ofthis forward movement being reached with the gun in battery. as seen .in Fig.1,

when the piston rod- 21 projecting through 7 5 I the front cylinder head-17a engages the piston 15. Grooves 22in the wall ofthe-cylinder 17 enable the l-iquid to be throttled from one side of the pistonto the other.

When the gun and cylinder 7 move in re s0 coil the piston 19 is nolonger opposed by: the stationary piston15 and is'free tobe moved forwardly by the springZO. This results in transferring liquid from the front to the rear of the piston andin furtherextruding the piston rod 21. During the final portion of the counterrecoil stroke, the. piston 15 strikes the extruded rod 21 to force the piston 19 rearwardly against the action of the 1- spring 20. At the same time the liquid is throttled through the grooves 22 thereby controlling the rate of'movement of both pistons and gradually bringing them to rest.

In the modification shownin Fig. 2 the piston' 15a corresponding to the Ypiston115 of Fig: 1 may be provided with a valved com- .munication'23 whereby a portion of thegases are transferred to the low pressureside of the piston, to be compressed oil-termination of the counterrecoil stroke and thereby supply a brake mechanism. V r

The principal brake mechanism in this arrangement is contained in a cylinder 24 secured to the gun lug 25. -A piston 26 secured to the cradleand working'in the cylinder 24 is formed with an axial cavity 27 in the piston head. This cavity extends into the piston for admitting gases of discharge into one cylinder for compressive action and reaction,

means for transmitting a portion of the admitted gases past the piston to constitute a brake, a liquid in the other cylinder, and means for throttling the liquid past the pis ton.

5. In combination with a reciprocating gun, a pair of cy-linders 'and pistons associated with the gun, means for admitting gases of discharge into one cylinder for compressive action and reaction, a liquid in the other cylinder, 'andm'eans for throttling the liquid past the piston. V g I GLADEON M. BARNES.

- m-ent. At the termination of the"'counte'rrecoil-stroke the amount of'liquid available to pass through the orifice 28 is regulated by the entry of the rod 29 in the'cavity' 27 L Where-communication between opposite sides of the piston head is'established through 7 some other means than the cavity, as for eX- ample by the grooves 22 of Fig. 1, then the cavity and rod 29'provide the well known spear type 'of'bufi'er mechanism; l

I claim: V 1. In a reciprocating gun, amain cylinder movable with the gun, a stationary piston working'in the maincylinder,-mean s for ad'- mitting gases of discharge to the main cylinder for compressive action and reaction, an

, auxiliary cylinder in the rear end of the'main Y v in the auxiliary up cylinder, and means for throttling the liquid past the piston;

cylinder, a piston in the auxiliary cylinder having a rod projecting into vthe path of the piston in the main cylinder,"aspringurging the piston towards the main cylinder, a liquid 2. In a reciprocating gun, a cylinder movable with the gun, a stationary piston working in the cylinder," means for admitting gases of discharge to the cylinder for compressive action and'reaction, a chamber in the rear endof the cylinder, a liquid in the chamber,

a brake piston .in the chamber, means for .throttllng the liquid past the brake piston, a

spring urging the brake piston forwardly,

and means whereby the piston in the cylinder I moves thebrake piston against the action of the spring. 7 v l I V V ,3. In a reciprocating gun,.a"recoil and counterrecoilmechanism including a cylinder and piston with means for admitting gases-of discharge for compressive action and reactio and a liquidbrake mechanism in one end of the cylinder including a pisto a by thepiston in the cylinder. 7 v

' 14. In combination with a reciprocating ,gun, a pair of cylinders movable with the gun,

astation'ary piston in each cylinder, means 

